Your career as a pharmacy technician might put you in a work environment that requires acute attention to detail and top-notch customer service skills. At times, you may feel overwhelmed and particularly stressed out from the workload. Here are some tips to help you work effectively as a pharmacy technician.
Identify red flags.
One of the worst parts about getting stressed during pharmacy technician work is that it may interfere with your performance. When you feel down, your skills, productivity and effectiveness might suffer as a result. Try to pick up on any warning signs.1 If you start to feel anxious or irritable at work, you should make an effort to identify specific scenarios and triggers that make you feel stressed out.2 You it may help to know which triggers you can avoid, and which ones you’ll have to learn to deal with head-on.
Take breaks.
Many people often overlook the benefits of taking a 10- or 15-minute break from work. Because you'll spend a lot of time counting and measuring medications and bottling prescriptions, it's important that you make time for yourself and take quick breaks throughout the day.3 This way, you may clear your head of stressful thoughts and recharge your emotional batteries. Removing yourself from the environment for a few minutes a day might make a huge difference in your attitude and work ethic. Just make sure your breaks are approved by your manager and coworkers.
Prioritize your tasks.
Throughout your day at the pharmacy, you might be assigned a variety of tasks. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average technician may measure medication amounts for prescriptions, package them into bottles, organize and track medicine inventory and many more different assignments. When you're assigned such an array of responsibilities, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed. That’s why you should work to prioritize your tasks for the day.4 When you work with medication and patients who need prescriptions to treat their conditions, every task is as important as the next. The trick to success is knowing which ones to complete at which times. To work on this, make note of how long specific tasks take you and how much you like each task. There may be certain projects that only take you a few minutes and are stress free, but there may also be duties that are meticulous and cause you to feel stressed. For the best results, try to stagger your tasks so that you're switching between stress-free and stressful responsibilities throughout your shift.
These tips will hopefully help you lower your stress level and increase your effectiveness as a pharmacy technician. Good luck!
1http://www.helpguide.org/mental/work_stress_management.htm
2http://www.mayoclinic.org/coping-with-stress/art-20048369
3http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2012/05/29/how-to-deal-with-workplace-stress/
4http://www.alwayscarebenefits.com/blog/how-to-cope-with-work-related-stress/